/ 

A  CRY  FOR  HELP  FROM 

BELGIUM 


Are  You  Tired  of  Giving? 

YOU  DON’T  KNOW  WHAT  IT  IS  TO  BE  TIRED 

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By  courtesy  of  N.  Y.  Tribune 


AN  URGENT  APPEAL  FOR  AID 

Terrible  Conditions  Exist  Today  in  Belgium — Prompt 
Action  is  Necessary  if  Real  Service  is  to  be  Rendered 


OUT  of  misery  and  desolation  there  comes  today  from  Belgium  a  pitiful 
appeal  for  aid.  So  terrible  are  conditions,  so  desperate  the  needs, 
that,  in  many  instances,  it  is  a  matter  of  days  only  if  the  lives  of 
Belgians  are  to  be  saved  by  help  from  America  or  sacrificed  to  German 
frightfulness. 

Urgent  cable  messages  are  received  each  day  from  Europe  telling  of  the 
desperateness  of  conditions,  of  the  widespread  destitution  and  suffering  and 
urging  immediate  and  generous  action  on  our  part.  Nothing  in  the  world’s 
history  is  more  tragic  and  terrible  than  the  story  of  Belgium’s  invasion  and 
persecution.  It  is  a  story  that  runs  through  all  but  four  years,  a  story  of 
violated  womanhood,  of  persecuted  children,  of  murder,  pillage  and  de¬ 
struction.  However  bad  conditions  may  have  been  in  the  past,  they  are 
today  infinitely  worse — they  are  terrible  beyond  all  power  of  description. 


Due  to  German  Frightfulness 


This  present  situation  of  increased  desperateness  is  due  directly  and 
entirely  to  the  latest  campaign  of  frightfulness  launched  by  the  Kaiser’s 
hordes.  Just  as  it  has  strained  France  almost  to  the  breaking  point,  so  has 
it  placed  a  still  heavier  burden  of  crushing,  grinding  misery  upon  the  Bel¬ 
gians.  Sources  from  whence  relief  had  come  are  now  closed  to  them,  for 
France  and  Great  Britain  must  now  give  every  atom  of  energy  and  ounce 
of  resource  to  their  own  fight  for  existence. 

America  today  is  Belgium’s  only  hope.  Belgium  is  our  ally,  and  never 
was  there  one  more  heroic  or  loyal.  It  is  a  nation  that  rings  true;  its  people 
lived  up  to  duty,  sacrificed  all  save  honor  and  bravely  stood  firm  in  the  face 
of  death  until  overcome  by  sheer  numbers  in  whose  ranks  were  treachery 
and  murder. 

Belgium  now  needs  our  help — not  only  for  the  future,  but  today.  It  is 
the  most  urgent  necessities  of  life  these  victims  of  the  Prussians  ask  us  to 
send.  Search  your  memory  for  a  more  worthy  object  or  a  better  reason 
for  our  help.  You  can  do  your  part  to  save  lives  if  you  act  promptly.  Join 
us  in  conveying  a  real  message  of  loyal  sympathy  to  Belgium  by.  sending 
us  today  a  generous  contribution  to  relieve  the  suffering  of  that  heroic 
country’s  war  ^Otims. 


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IT  is  in  the  name  of  the  Charities  of  the  Queen  of  Belgium  that  we  appeal 
to  you  in  this  emergency.  Than  Queen  Elizabeth,  martyr  Queen, 
there  is  no  figure  nobler,  more  courageous  or  more  devoted  in  all  the 
records  of  the  war.  Since  the  first  German  guns  sounded  death  and  destruc¬ 
tion  for  Belgium,  Queen  Elizabeth  has  stuck  by  her  stricken  people,  worked 
for  them,  sacrificed  for  them  and  today  she  is  a  ministering  angel  to  their 
sufferings  and  needs. 

Belgium,  free  cf  German  domination,  is  only  a  little  strip  of  land  held 
by  the  unconquerable  army  of  that  country.  King  Albert  is  at  the  head  of 
his  army  in  the  field;  Queen  Elizabeth  is  with  her  people,  sharing  their  dan¬ 
gers  and  hardships  as  she  cares  for  them.  Dressed  i  n  the  uniform  of  a  nurse, 
she  is  the  actual  working  head  of  the  committee  which  bears  her  name. 
She  knows  what  the  needs  are  and  where  they  exist;  it  is  by  her  own  hands 
or  personal  direction  that  these  needs  are  met. 


Queen's  Hospital  at  La  Panne 


At  La  Panne,  the  Queen  has  established  a  hospital  of  1,500  beds  which 
are  always  occupied.  There  the  wounded  soldiers  are  restored  to  health 
and  given  back  to  the  Allies’  fighting  service.  There  the  soldiers  who  are 
permanently  maimed  or  blinded  are  cared  for  and  eventually  taught  trades 
and  occupations  that  again  make  them  useful  citizens.  Also  there  is  a  de¬ 
partment  where  artificial  limbs  are  made  for  those  crippled  in  battle. 

While  this  is  only  one  phase  of  Queen  Elizabeth’s  work,  we  ask  you 
if  it  is  not  worthy  of  our  help.  These  soldiers  of  Belgium  are  still  holding 
their  place  in  the  Allies’  line,  they  are  fighting  for  you  and  liberty  and,  “with 
backs  to  the  wall,”  will  “fight  to  the  last  man.”  Can  we  do  less  than  aid 
them  when  the  Germans  have  made  them  helpless? 


Women,  Children  and  Aged 


But  it  is  also  the  women,  children  and  aged  people  of  Belgium  for  whom 
their  Queen  is  working.  There  are  vast  numbers  of  them  who  have  lost 
everything  on  earth  they  possessed,  who  were  fortunate  to  escape  perse¬ 
cution  and  death  at  the  hands  of  the  Germans.  For  many  months  they 
have  eked  out  a  scant  and  cramped  existence,  but  the  latest  German  drive 
of  frightfulness  has  closed  to  them  practically  every  source  of  aid.  Their 
plight  i_$„  desperate  and  we  shy  again  that  America  is  their  only  hope. 

We  can  do  a  great  deal"  for  these  sufferers  if  we  act  promptly.-' Won’t 
you  help  by  sending  a  generous  contribution  for  them?  It  may  be  the 
direct  means  of  saving  . a  human  life. 


T*; 


-pi  u 


THIS  appeal  is  made  by  the  National  Allied  Relief  Committee,  Inc., 
on  behalf  of  the  American  Committee  Collecting  for  the  Charities  of 
the  Queen  of  the  Belgians,  a  sub-committee  of  the  first-named  organiza¬ 
tion.  At  the  head  of  this  Committee,  the  purpose  of  which  is  to  aid  the 
Belgian  Queen’s  charities,  is  Mrs.  Charles  H.  Marshall,  of  New  York  City. 
Associated  with  her  in  the  work  are  Mrs.  Charles  B.  Alexander,  Mrs.  E.  H. 
Harriman,  Mrs.  Thomas  F.  Ryan,  and  Mrs.  Joseph  Pulitzer,  of  New  York; 
Mrs.  Bayard  Thayer,  of  Boston,  and  Mrs.  Marshall  Field,  of  Washington. 

We  know  these  terrible  needs  exist  today  among  the  Belgians.  We 
know  they  can  be  remedied  by  prompt  and  generous  action  on  the  part  of 
Americans. 

We  ask  you  to  send  us  a  generous  contribution  today  for  the  relief  of 
these  suffering  people. 


BACK  HOME  IN  BELGIUM 

A  Belgian  baby  and  its  grandparents.  The  mother  was  killed  by  the  Ger¬ 
mans.  The  father  is  fighting  today  for  you  and  liberty. 


Make  all  checks  payable  to  James  A.  Blair,  Jr.,  Treasurer,  Na¬ 
tional  Allied  Relief  Committee,  Inc.,  2  West  45th  Street,  New  York 
City. 


